New report outlines how businesses moving from on-premises datacenters to the Microsoft Cloud can achieve sustainable innovation

REDMOND, Wash. — May 17, 2018 — A new report
issued Thursday by Microsoft Corp. in partnership with WSP shows
significant energy and carbon emissions reduction potential from the
Microsoft Cloud when compared with on-premises datacenters. These gains,
as much as 93 percent more energy efficient and as high as 98 percent
more carbon efficient, are due to Microsoft’s extensive investments in
IT efficiency from chip-to-datacenter infrastructure, as well as
renewable energy.
“The world is producing more data than ever, making our
infrastructure decisions about how to power this digital transformation
incredibly important,” said Brad Smith, president and chief legal
officer, Microsoft. “Today’s report confirms what we’ve long believed —
that investing in sustainability is good for business, good for
customers and good for the planet.”
Specifically, the report found that cloud investments made by
Microsoft in IT operational efficiency, IT equipment efficiency,
datacenter infrastructure efficiency and renewable electricity were
responsible for the environmental benefits. These efficiencies translate
into both energy and carbon savings for Microsoft and customers using
Microsoft Cloud services.
Microsoft Cloud services achieve energy and emissions reductions in
comparison with every on-premises deployment scenario assessed —
Microsoft Azure Cloud Compute, Azure Storage, Exchange Online and
SharePoint Online.
With more regions than any other cloud provider, Microsoft provides
cloud services to customers around the world. As customers across all
industries move to the cloud, sustainability and environmental
responsibility are key factors in their choice of cloud provider.
“Schneider Electric chose the Microsoft Cloud to power our numerous
cloud-based offerings, and it has helped us achieve our goal of becoming
a global leader in sustainable energy management,” said Michael
MacKenzie, vice president, EcoStruxure Technology Platform – IoT &
Digital Offers, Schneider Electric. “The fact that Microsoft shares our
sustainability values and focus on decreasing environmental impact makes
the company a natural partner for us.”
“When organizations choose low-carbon cloud computing, they are
taking an important step forward on sustainability,” said Lance Pierce,
president of CDP North America. “Sustainable digital transformation,
powered by a cleaner cloud, enables the creation of a sustainable and
thriving economy that works for people and planet in the long term.”
Learn more about the Microsoft’s investments and approach to sustainability in the cloud at https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/?p=58951. The report can be found in full at “The Carbon Benefits of Cloud Computing: A Study on the Microsoft Cloud.”
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation
for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission
is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to
achieve more.